12 days of action to eliminate violence against women
Djeneba Dosso
The Outaouais and international feminist mobilization committee of the Assemblée des groupes de femmes d'interventions régionales (AGIR) invited the Outaouais population to join the movement for the 12 days of action for the elimination of violence against women.
AGIR collaborated with Maison d’Ingrid to invite the Outaouais to join them in 12 days of actions to eliminate violence against women from November 25 to December 6. Beginning on November 25, the National Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the dozen days were filled with programming, training, conferences, and information sessions. The campaign closed on December 6 which marks the anniversary of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre.
Claudia Fradette, general manager of the shelter for women victim of domestic abuse Maison d’Ingrid emphasized the importance of this mobilization.
“Everyday we have many women who are in the shelter very much affected by the violence they have suffered within their domestic relationships,” explained Fradette. “Concrete actions like the 12 days campaign sends women a clear message that they are believed, that they are supported, that they are accompanied and that they are not alone.”
The Ingrid Shelter opened in July 2023 to offer housing, prevention and youth services to women and children. As of right now, the house holds seven spaces which can be occupied by three women and up to four children. The house which has been a resource in the community is in high demand, but it is only a temporary placement while a bigger shelter is built in Cantley to accommodate more women.
Beyond receiving emergency shelter, each of the women have a weekly one-one assessment to establish an action plan in order to find out what their needs are. This is done individually as each woman’s needs vary and therefore need to be addressed on case by case basis.
Riantsoa Andriamasy, head of communications and public education for AGIR says participating in the 12 days of action is a great way to show support to these women.
“There are a lot of people who either don’t recognize that there is violence, think they are not affected by the violence or believe that it is not their problem. When in reality, violence against women, domestic violence is everyone’s problem—it is not a private matter.” she said.
Speaking on violence against women is essential to ensure its prevention. According to the latest report from the Ministry of Public Safety, published this year, the biggest increase in domestic violence-related offences this decade was recorded in 2021, affecting mainly women (76.4% of victims). As of today, in Quebec, 9 feminicides took place in 2023 in a context of domestic violence.
“Violence does not have a face and you never know who may be affected by it. We often tell ourselves that it is none of our business, but my wish is for people to become aware of the scope of this challenge.”
She had invited everyone to join the movement and educate themselves. Stating that one can get involved in three steps, even after the 12-day campaign is over. The first being supporting Maison d’Ingrid. Donations to their financing campaign are poured into the building of their new shelter in Cantley. Next, Andriamasy invites people to educate themselves through free training and information sessions across Gatineau. The last step is to get involved in any way possible. Shelters and women’s organizations offer an array of conferences, workshops, and information sessions year-round—many who will be in attendance at various kiosks throughout the 12 days.
The December 6 march was followed by a vigil in the memory of missing and murdered women at park Mémoire d’Elles in front of the Jeannine Boissonneault monument.
A full calendar for the information sessions, conferences, kiosk’s location and hours and workshops can be found at agir-outaouais.ca.
“Ending domestic violence is the responsibility of us all,” added Fradette. “These women are the sisters, the mothers, the neighbours and the work colleagues of just about anyone.”
Photo caption: Riantsoa Andriamasy and Claudia Fradette in the AGIR office (109 Wright Street). The two women and their respective organizations have partnered to organize 12 days of actions to eliminate violence against women. They invite the Outaouais to join them in large numbers.
Photo credit: Djeneba Dosso
